<p>Here is the scenario: 34 ACT Composite, 1510 SAT CR+M, 690 W. The student is applying to highly selective colleges.</p>
<p>According to the concordance, 34 ACT is equivalent to 1510 CR+M.</p>
<p>Congrats these are great scores. </p>
<p>The ACT score is better. Some schools use the CR+M but others will look at the entire score. Either way the ACT score is better. </p>
<p>It doesn’t hurt to send both and some schools may require it.</p>
<p>Wonderful scores. The SAT confirms the stellar ACT. Send them both. Congratulations.</p>
<p>I’d go ahead and send both. The 690 writing score is unlikely to count against the student. Does he have a writing score from the ACT? Both my kids had 690 writing scores and each got into at least one college rated in the top 10 on the infamous USNWR list.</p>
<p>I don’t think it would be disastrous to send both, but for me it would depend on the actual breakdown of the SAT sections. For example, M800 CR710 W690 would probably not play quite as well at an Ivyish school or elite LAC as the 34. At an engineering school, that breakdown would probably be regarded more positively.</p>
<p>I agree with Consolation. It depends upon the breakdown of both sets of scores. If the ACT subsections are consistently high, I would NOT send in the SAT score. Also, if the student is applying to highly selective colleges, SATIIs will need to be sent with the SAT score, but NOT with the ACT score (for some schools). So if the SATII scores are not consistently high, then I would definitely send the ACT. No reason to show a lower score…</p>
<p>Thanks for all the comments. The ACT subsection scores range from 32 to 36, and the SAT CR and M scores are very close. The family is leaning slightly toward not sending the SAT scores.</p>
<p>If you are talking about a 750 or 760 in CR, I think that is enough to offset the 690 in W for many selecive schools. I think that everyone knows that the W scores tend to be strange and more variable. The 800M/710CR/690W breakdown I hypothesized would describe a kid who was very strong in M, and–for the most selective schools–competent but not strong in reading/writing. 800s in M are more common than 800s in CR. This may seem ridiculous to many, since 710 is of course a very good score, but if you look at the table here:</p>
<p>[Testing</a> Statistics](<a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/admissions/facts/test-stats.html]Testing”>http://www.dartmouth.edu/admissions/facts/test-stats.html)</p>
<p>you will see what I mean. Highly selective schools seem to value an 800CR above an 800M for the same reason that it is common for there to be a requirement for a Freshman writing course.</p>
<p>Although I think that the acceptance rates are more revealing than the 25/75 percentiles because the lower reaches are more heavily populated with hooked students, do note that at D, his 34 would put him at the 75th percentile, while his SATs are below that. (D probably receives more SAT scores than ACT scores, and I’m not sure how that plays into it.)</p>
<p>My older son had an 800 CR and 690W. His problem was that he’s a slow deliberate writer and there was just no way he could come up with a complete essay on 25 minutes. I’m also not convinced anyone could actually read his chicken scratches. My younger son had almost the same scores as well. He’s a much better writer than his older brother, but still had trouble putting it all together in 25 minutes.</p>
<p>@Consolation
What about a 770 CR 750 M but mid 600’s in Writing?</p>
<p>2018dad, I think a 770CR proves to anyone that the kid is strong in that area. The writing section is just strange. My kid, for example, took the SAT and got CR800, M720, W790. He didn’t prep. He was miffed at his M score, because he got an 80 on that section in the PSAT, so he decided to retake it. Of course, he still didn’t prep! :rolleyes: He got CR800, M730, W about 40 or 50 points lower, I don’t recall precisely. He is–and was–an excellent writer, and is now in journalism school.</p>
<p>I think that whether one retakes a CR770/M750/W650 as a <em>first score</em> depends on the target schools and the circumstances. Was there prep? Is the kid applying to the Ivies plus Stanford and co, where the application has to be bulletproof? Where do the CR and M scores place the kid at the target schools? Is the kid vying for a big scholarship? Is the kid going to take AP English and have an 5 to show by application time? Has the kid won or been nominated for a writing award? Is the kid getting a rec from an English or History teacher who will say the kid is a great writer? There are so many factors. As a second score, I’d definitely leave it be.</p>
<p>If it is a question of sending those scored vs an ACT, if the ACT is a 36, just send that. If the ACT is 33-35, send both. IMHO, of course. :)</p>